Past Reflections: Part Three

"Lady, can I ask you something?"

      The gum-chewing Pteri clerk looked up nonchalantly from her magazine at the Aisha and Acara. "Whaddya want?" she asked, smacking rudely and blowing a bubble.

      "On the boat to Mystery Island..." Yubioke began. "Did a Shoyru and a Zafara get on board a few hours ago...?"

      The Pteri raised an eyebrow. "Lots of those. Popular pets, y'know."

      Yubioke suppressed a retort and asked politely, "I mean, a silver Shoyru and a Christmas Zafara... their names would be listed Kyradose and Hiterkuna."

      The clerk flipped lazily through the passports and ran her feathery finger down the line. She closed the book, tossing it aside. "Sorry," she said. "No two pets of that description took any boats." Yubioke clenched her fists and ground her teeth in anger. Growling slightly, she turned, racing along the sidewalk. Pets grumbled as she shoved past them, with Mesbeto scurrying along after her.

     ~*~

      When I awoke I felt dizzy. My head was heavy from who-knows-what... probably something someone had injected into my skin hours ago. My arms ached and I barely raised my head to behold the bandages on them. Yup. Shots. The overwhelming nausea from my childhood returned; I felt like I needed to vomit from the mere sight of the bandages.

      "He's awake, boss," a low voice mumbled, and I tried to look in the direction of it; which would have been fairly easy if not for the medicine holding me down. But while ordinary body parts were slowed down, my eyes darted in the direction of the voice.

      The white Shoyru stepped toward me and overshadowed me easily. I strained to look at whatever I was lying on and found that it was a lab bed. White sheets hung limply over my body, and I now realized that I could feel nothing at all; that's why I hadn't noticed them earlier. It wasn't a sneer on the Shoyru's face... I was surprised to see him looking at me with respect, and maybe a little fear. But it was the way he looked at me... He didn't respect me for who I was. It seemed that he respected me for unknown reasons, but those reasons were definitely not because I was Kyradose. It was like how a jealous child looked at another child with awe at the new toy he or she had.

      What would I have that he would want? I asked myself groggily. They couldn't possibly know about him... about the voice in my head... could they? These thoughts made me scared, and I tried to escape. The medicines numbing my limbs prevented me from moving. Instead of making a getaway, I managed to roll slightly, but not even enough to get off the bed and onto the floor. I groaned and pushed myself to move, but my arms and legs wouldn't obey me. The white Shoyru raised a quizzical eyebrow at my pathetic attempts and mumbled, "Huh. You're not very strong, kid... too bad, right? You don't deserve it..."

      "Deserve what?" I managed to ask. Even the words coming from my mouth felt slow and heavy. "I'm not special..." Even though these words came from my mouth, I know that I was lying and that he could understand that.

      "Not you, you're not special at all," he answered. "No, it's him. Why did he choose you?"

      Him. He was talking about MirrorEyes.

      I have to escape, I thought, my mind quickening with every thudding heartbeat. I can't let them find MirrorEyes. As these thoughts raced through my head, I felt that I was being influenced by not just my own thoughts, but MirrorEyes's as well. He was sending frantic emotions through me. I heard his voice faintly inside my head - the medicines had probably affected him as well - murmuring, Get out... don't let them do anything more to you...

      How are we going to, though? I asked him. We're both pinned down... I hardly know the extent of your power as it is...

      When no reply came, I suspected that he was thinking of something. Why did he close his thoughts from me? I felt a little annoyed, despite my position, that he was inside my head but I couldn't hear his thoughts. How many thoughts of mine had he looked into? Putting aside my petty annoyance, I concentrated on my own plan to escape. The medicines holding me down... I could hardly think clearly...

      Maybe I could stall for time? That was worth a try... the white one seemed angry with me for no understandable reason. Understandable to anyone but him and myself... how did he know? As he glared coldly at me I felt myself shudder. I had to do something...

      "Why did who choose me?" I asked, my innocence being a lie. I was worried that he would do something violent like hitting me, but he made no move to harm me.

      "Are you such a fool?" he asked, his voice cold and angry. "You probably are... maybe that's why he chose you. MirrorEyes. Our... tests on you have confirmed that you have more than one soul residing in your body. What soul would that be besides MirrorEyes's? You aren't a Draik, like he was, but you're the closest thing to one. Your sister, on the other hand... she matches her soul perfectly..."

      Hiterkuna. How could I have forgotten about her? MirrorEyes was also radiating waves of concern through my body, and it comforted me a little to know he cared about my little sister, too. "Where's my sister?" I tried to demand, but it sounded more like a groan. "If she's hurt, I'll--"

      "We wouldn't harm a hair on her head, now that she's proven she has some worth," the white one said coolly. "Of course she was reluctant to take those tests... she put up far more trouble than you did. She must've known that Hisika didn't want to be exposed."

      Hisika! MirrorEyes roared inside me. If they've hurt her, I'll kill them all! I tried to hush him, with whatever comforting thoughts I could muster, but he wouldn't listen. Do you take me for a fool? I'm not a dumb beast! My wisdom reaches far beyond your own, and it would be wise for you to stand back and let me fight them! His voice sounded deadly, even if it did seem a little weighed down. He was the one being foolish. Neither of us could fight in this condition.

      "Hisika, do you know about her?" the Shoyru asked me. I could see a sneer forming on his lips. "Or did MirrorEyes fail to tell you?"

      "I don't know," I said, trying to sound disappointed. The white one let the sneer take full force on his face and he laughed. "What did I expect? I should tell you, then. MirrorEyes hasn't told you much about him, and you took his power for granted. You really are a fool."

      Taking his attention from me and directing in towards his story, he began. "Hisika was one of the three siblings MirrorEyes had. They were not blood relatives, but after finding him wounded by an unfortunate... accident... they took him in. Hisika was a magess of light. Along with her was Yalina, a darkness witch, and the last one was Mescasho, a worker of water. All were very powerful.

      "But in an unfortunate battle only a few years ago, MirrorEyes was... well..." He gestured towards me. "How can you be living in another pet's body if you have one of your own? He was killed. Knowing that something bad was afoot, he used the last of his powers to transport his soul into the nearest Draik. But since Draiks can't be born now, he chose the Neopet with traits most like a Draik's. But with you, I'd say he kind of... hm... slipped up."

      "I didn't slip up!" I roared, but it wasn't my voice. "It was the closest thing I could get! At least I didn't mess up and pick some scumface like you!"

      The white one looked surprised at my outburst and offended by MirrorEyes's remark. His face twisted into a hateful glare. Raising a paw, he brought it down in an attempt to hit me across the face. My paw flew out against my will, as if it had never been numb and limp, and caught his before it descended on me. "That's enough of you..." I hissed, my voice deadly and alien to me. My leg flew from under the blanket and kicked him across the face, and I was up on my feet, my senses quickly returning to me. MirrorEyes was enraged and desperate to do anything to escape. A Wocky ran forward to detain me, but my paw flew out and smacked him in the face, knocking him over brutally. The white Shoyru ran toward me, his sabre out and ready to slice me down. Would he attack me with MirrorEyes inside me? I jumped back as the blade flashed by, slicing the air that I had inhabited just a moment ago. MirrorEyes - whether or not the medicines had worn off of him - easily sped my body up to match his liking. He was obviously an experienced warrior, but my body would not hold out long. He was used to dodging multiple attacks? Maybe, but I wasn't. I could feel the sweat falling from my brow as I dodged another sabre slash. I couldn't keep this up much longer.

      Hiterkuna, my little sister, was in trouble. I'd had to keep my consciousness or I wouldn't be able to help her. My paw searched blindly for any item that might match the sabre, and I found a lab-knife. I didn't even want to think about what funny little things like "incisions" and "surgeries" this had aided in. MirrorEyes used my body to dodge another attack and jumped into the air, using my once-numb wings to aid me, and I flew over him. The next thing I knew, the small knife in my paw was matching blades with the white one's sabre. MirrorEyes used incredible agility and ducked under his blade, using the opening to stab his arm. The white one fell to his knees, hissing in slight pain. His paw was covering the minor wound, and before I knew it, MirrorEyes was using me to run down the hall. Everything behind me was a distant memory... wasn't it? I suddenly remembered the incident last year... I'd destroyed so many... and I had thought nothing of it...

      Miserable thoughts suddenly drew me in, and I felt my body falling away. My arms, which were already silver, changed shape slightly and claws spread forth. My wings shrunk slightly, while my snout lengthened and my feet changed. I didn't even notice my complete species change: from a Shoyru to a Draik. I didn't care. I was suddenly drifting among a sea of guilt.

      Boy, what's wrong with you? MirrorEyes's voice asked from outside, and I opened my eyes to behold darkness. Was this all he saw? The Draik prodded at me with his mind, repeating the question, and I asked, "I'm evil, aren't I?"

      The silence that followed suggested that he knew what I was hinting at. I felt a little hesitation in his sea of emotions. It's not your fault, boy... I was a little...

      When he paused I knew the answer, and I felt rage building up in me. "You influenced me," I hissed. "You used me to take your wrath out on others." I was enraged, but deep inside me, I was happy that it hadn't been me, really. Did that make me even worse? Confused, I hugged my knees and closed my eyes, letting MirrorEyes control my body. I didn't feel like complaining in the least. I felt a little confusion coming from his emotion, but he said nothing, and proceeded to fight the attacking pets.

      I suddenly saw through MirrorEyes's view, and he was holding a pitiful Bruce by the collar of his lab coat. "Where are they experimenting on Hisika?" he demanded in a low, deadly hiss. The Bruce stuttered over his words, finally saying, "R-room number th-thirty five, sir!" MirrorEyes dropped the fat pet roughly and ran down the hall. Boy, he said, sounding a little embarrassed, In my time they didn't trifle with silly things like numbers. Guide me to where my sister is.

      She's my sister, too... I thought with a little annoyance before looking through his eyes and directing him through the halls. "33... 34... There it is, 35!" MirrorEyes focused his energy, and I felt warmth rush through me. Energy was building up at an incredible rate, and it was channeling through MirrorEyes's arms. He held the power, concentrating all the anger that was inside his head, and released it.

      The door literally flew open.

      I gaped silently, and I felt a feeling of pride running through the Draik. Showoff, I thought with a little contempt.

      MirrorEyes ran through the door as if his heels were on fire. Through his eyes I saw four pets dressed in lab coats, gaping at him with utter horror in their eyes. My eyes flicked to the side of the room, where a fluid-like bubble sat untouched. MirrorEyes hurled himself at the lab pets, and they scattered frantically. The Draik grabbed one by the fur and threw him violently at the others, causing them to scream and run. "Weaklings," he mumbled through my mouth. "Utter weaklings."

      MirrorEyes walked towards the fluid-like bubble. Placing his paw on the orange tinted fluids, he concentrated his power on it. I questioned this act and he replied, "They're keeping my sister in here."

      I gasped and strained my eyes, surprised to see Hiterkuna curled up in a motionless shape. Her eyes were closed, and a mask clasped to her mouth and nose provided her with air. I felt a small sigh of relief escape my mouth. At least she wasn't dead...

      MirrorEyes reached his paws into the fluid, penetrating the gooey membrane and gripping Hiterkuna around the shoulders. He pulled her from her jelly-like prism, slung her over his shoulder, and ran from the room. From MirrorEyes's eyes I could see my little sister, her face calm and silent. I was sure she was breathing... wasn't she?

      MirrorEyes stopped in a dark hallway and blasted another door open to reveal a black storeroom. I suddenly felt a rush of exhaustion running through me, and I was swept from the blackness of MirrorEyes's body. I felt a strange turnaround as I once again inhabited my body. Hiterkuna's weight on my shoulder returned, and I felt the fading power of the medicines slow my every move down again. I needed a rest.

      I looked to the light that was coming in through the door and knew that we would be found out soon. Gently setting my sister down, I crawled towards the door with exhaustion in every move. I gripped feebly at the door and shoved it up, using it to block the descending rays of light that were filtering in. When I had finally done so, I fell back, letting a sigh of relief escape from my mouth. I slowly limped back to a hiding position behind the large boxes and curled up, closing my eyes and shrouding myself in further darkness.

      "MirrorEyes," I mumbled. It was more of an order than a request. The Draik inside me was listening intently, but I could hear a little hesitation in his reply, "Yes?"

      "What happened... back then?" I asked quietly. "Tell me. And you were exhausted by the end of the escape... but you weren't even tired moments before... I'm not that stupid, MirrorEyes. I want you to explain."

      There was a moment of silence, and I thought he wouldn't answer.

      Then, dimly, in the corners of my mind...

      I will show you.

      And the blackness of my mind seemed to twist frantically, and I was blinded by incredible light.

To be continued...